Photo : MOSSOT / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Château de Montal
The château de Montal, at Saint-Jean-Lespinasse, in the Bave valley (Lot), is a jewel of the Renaissance in Quercy. Jeanne de Balsac, married in 1496 to Amaury II de Montal, transformed the medieval dwelling between 1519 and 1534. According to legend, the motto "Plus d'espoir" (No more hope) on the pediment echoes the death of her eldest son in 1523, during the Italian wars.
Two wings frame the courtyard, with three round corner towers and a square tower. The machicolations are purely decorative. A straight Italian-inspired staircase replaces the spiral staircase. The frieze mixes mythological figures and coats of arms, and busts of Jeanne's family adorn the first floor.
Dismantled in 1880, it was bought back and restored by Maurice Fenaille between 1908 and 1913, who gave it to the State. The Mona Lisa was hidden there from 1943 to 1945. Open to visit by the Centre des monuments nationaux since 2006.
